REDLANDS – Adam Pepper has been moved by the plight of orphans in Africa.

At age 5, he collected quarters for Redlands’ “Quarters for Kenya” campaign by saving his allowance and doing some extra chores around his home.

He donated 200 quarters, that’s $50, and gave it to the campaign.

Now, at 8, he is taking his efforts one step further and enlisting the help of his school class at Kimberly Elementary, his entire school, and perhaps all the elementary schools in the Redlands Unified School District.

Adam launched his campaign last week by talking at three assemblies at his school and distributing quarter-collection cans in each of the school’s classrooms.

He told his friends and classmates that, if the school could raise 4,000 quarters (that’s $1,000), one of the schoolrooms in the new African school could be named for Kimberly Elementary School.

Adam is the son of Vicki and Tim Pepper of Redlands. Vicki works for David Maupin, who has spearheaded the Quarters for Kenya effort, traveled to Kenya twice to meet with the school leaders and the children, and talked to Rotarians there.

Maupin also brings his message to the Redlands area through talks at his noon Rotary Club and other fund-raising efforts.

In his appearances, Maupin uses a “talking stick,” a kind of cane presented to him by the Rev. MacMillan Kiru who, with his wife, Nellie, established the Shepherd’s Home in Nairobi, which the Quarters drive is helping.

Maupin lent the carved stick to Adam for his presentations.

Since the Quarters for Kenya effort was launched two years ago, $230,000 has been raised to help the African School. The goal is $250,000 and is now in view.

Adam was inspired to help, collected his donation and had his name painted on the airplane that helped begin the drive two years ago for the second school near Nairobi, which was to be named for local Rotarian, the late Charles Kean. That school has now opened and work is beginning on a third.

Adam told his classmates about the drive after the plane took off and he was mentioned in an article in the Redlands Daily Facts.

Now, he wants everyone to help.

To that end, Adam is planning to talk to the Kimberly PTA, share the information at the school’s science night and maybe present his information to the next district-wide principals’ meeting.

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